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Ok I know we have all had that Soldier with a financial issue what would you do? Years ago I had a Soldier that was greatly indebt so I counseled him and enrolled him in several ACS classes (i.e. check writing, budget planning....etc), had him apply for WIC and food stamps also. I ensured he attended these classes and on paydays I assisted him with the budget that was developed to ensure he stuck with it. I also gave him spare furniture that I had in my house that I was going to donate anyway so that he could renturn the stuff he had to rent a center. after working for him for several months i realized that he continued to go get credit from other places to purchase items that were not needed. What would you have done when realized this and what do you think about what I did?
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Finance
Army
Leadership
Audie Murphy
First Sergeant
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
What to do, inform, provide the offer of education, explain the likely actions should they not fix their issue. Detail my expectations as to job performance and impacts that will not be tolerated on the team due to their financial issues.
If the SM choose to educate themselves with the help provided by SME's, and ensures their job performance and readiness is not impacted, then it;s a past issue with no concern for the future.
If the SM refuses to use the help provided, fails to work out a solution, continues to be a distraction to the leadership required babysitting, hand carrying to this or that provider..court, calls from creditors... Then it's time for them to go.
Those same careless traits will be used by that individual in all manner of military life.. that is NOT what leadership is charged with caring for.
If the SM choose to educate themselves with the help provided by SME's, and ensures their job performance and readiness is not impacted, then it;s a past issue with no concern for the future.
If the SM refuses to use the help provided, fails to work out a solution, continues to be a distraction to the leadership required babysitting, hand carrying to this or that provider..court, calls from creditors... Then it's time for them to go.
Those same careless traits will be used by that individual in all manner of military life.. that is NOT what leadership is charged with caring for.
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1SG (Join to see)
Agreed I tried chaptering this Soldier after 4 months of continued assistance and continued further indebtness but I was told I have not given enough effort. To each there own on the one that told me this but I felt I did everything I could. Thank you for the comment.
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SGM Erik Marquez
1SG (Join to see) And in your counseling, did you by chance ask your counselor, what specific actions they required of you in regards to this SM?
If not, Id suggest you go back and ask just that. What actions from me do you believe I should have done but did not, specifics, not generalizations.
If the response is, get the SM out of debt, id submit that is NOT YOUR responsibility. And if it is, you requires that it is placed on your NCOER as an expectation....Of course your rater will do no such thing, as it is NOT a responsibility of you, the NCO leader, nor anyone in the command.It is a personal responsibility and lays solely at the feet of the indebted Soldier.
Your job is to observer, advise, counsel, make expectations known, provide the time, place of education for that SM....After that it is their responsibility,, success or failure theirs alone to find.
If not, Id suggest you go back and ask just that. What actions from me do you believe I should have done but did not, specifics, not generalizations.
If the response is, get the SM out of debt, id submit that is NOT YOUR responsibility. And if it is, you requires that it is placed on your NCOER as an expectation....Of course your rater will do no such thing, as it is NOT a responsibility of you, the NCO leader, nor anyone in the command.It is a personal responsibility and lays solely at the feet of the indebted Soldier.
Your job is to observer, advise, counsel, make expectations known, provide the time, place of education for that SM....After that it is their responsibility,, success or failure theirs alone to find.
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1SG (Join to see)
Unfortionatly I did not have a superb leader or mentor at that time and he pretty much just told me to fix it and put more effort in to it which I did. Eventually the Soldiers true colors came out for all to see and my leader caught the heat for it cause he was not sending the issues up to the higher chain of command.
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"Start the breathing, stop the bleeding, protect the wound...."
It looks like you went through the proper check list... however, they have to want to be helped.
Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can climb your way out. Failure (his, not yours) is a hell of an experience, and sometimes it's the one you need.
It looks like you went through the proper check list... however, they have to want to be helped.
Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can climb your way out. Failure (his, not yours) is a hell of an experience, and sometimes it's the one you need.
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You did the right thing, steered him in the right direction...what else you could have done...only thing is to call him in again and councel him after that it's all up to him..
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